RE: Social services and mutual aid

Good question, John.  I too am interested in the WS perspective on mutual
aid and non-governmental social services.  For the past couple of years I
have been research a few mutual aid-type institutions (rotating savings and
credit assoc.; reciprocal labour exchange; friendly societies) in the
Caribbean, and at some point I will have to tackle the WS perspective on
them.  For the moment I am considering critical counterposition of WS and
rational choice (motivations for individual versus collective action)
perspectives in explanations how cooperative, self-help institutions change.
Therefore, I will appreciate the answers to your questions, if you could
share them with me.  I would also like to ask to be referred to examples of
case studies on the Caribbean-Latin American region.

Thanks...

***********************************************
Trevor Purcell
Depts: Africana Studies & Anthropology
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., SOC 107
Tampa, Florida 33620
USA
Phone:  813-974-4441
Fax:      813-974-4434
E-mail:  purcell@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: John Till [mailto:familystrengths@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 10:09 AM
To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
Subject: Social services and mutual aid


Can anyone recommend readings in the following areas:

1.) World systems perspectives on the history and trajectory of mutual aid 
and private, not-for-profit social services?

2.)  Case studies of Islamic or Jewish mutual aid organizations serving 
"fundamentalist" communities of believers.

Thanks,

John Everett Till


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